AID FOR THE ENEMY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 566, 2 December 1915, Page 7

AID FOR THE ENEMY.

BRITISH PRESS CAMPAIGN.

SIR JQHN SIMON AND THE NORTHCLIFFE PAPERS.

By Cable,—Press Association.—Copyright. ■■■/.■ LONDON,, November 30. In the > House of Commons, Sir John Simon, referring to, the article ; in the Russian newspaper "Russkoye Slowo," regarding the attitude of "The Times" and the "Daily Mail,'* said: "As soon as I discovered it was '■ npt a statement of opinion held in: Russia, I wrote £{: letter, of explanar tion to 'The Times.' , Since then Lord Northcliffe's papers have made groundless charges against me, and . have even suggested that the paraf : graph was inspired by the BritisbK* Government. They have made insinuations against my honour and good faith : —charges that are abso- , lutely untrue." Sir John Simon, continuing., said . that the question was how far the Harmsworth Press, however unintentionally, had contributed to the ,t propaganda' of. the enemy. v " This could not be decided by any foreign ' correspondent, but was a question* of , fact. The "Daily Mail" on October 11 published a map headed "The RQad to India" at the moment when the , Germans entered Belgrade; ' It-is * obvious what use German propa- ' gandists could make of such a mischievous instrument to influence Eastern opinion. The Gernlan newspapers republished'the map as • a supplement, which was distributed gratis to neutral nations an the East by the German Consul-General. , The Germans added to their supplement the inscription: "Britain's Empire is f in. trembling fear of ? Germany." It was printed in seven lan- ;* guages. The map had not beek sub-' mitted to the Bureau; nothing could v now be done to recall the; damage it had caused. Sir John Simon next referred to Mr John Buchan's dispatch on the battle of' Loos. "The Times"- had suggested that the sentences praising tljie • bravery of the Germans'had > been excised. , That was Spain there were a certain number of pro-German papers regularly supplied with matter from .Germany. What was. lamentable was thatninetenths of this matter originally came from Lord Northcliffe's papers. A Voice:."Why don't you suppress these papers?"Sir John Simon: "I am going to deal'.with that in a moment." Continuing, he asked: "Was this continual fouling of our own nest calculated to encourage our soldiers at the front ?" In connection with a , London evening paper, he had been, asked if he could not take a gentler way. What he was now taking: was a gentler way. ;»if. it was notJ-effec-tive:it was perfectly possible to, take more strenuous action. * It ; was not a case in which he could take a single instance and base on it strong . jiieasures. It was a question of tendency, more difficult " to 6heck or .control. "I , have{ no personal quarrel with . Lord NortticlifTe," said Sir John , Simon, "I do' not know liirii. Lord ■ 1 NOrthcliffe Appears : 'to be like 1 the' prophets of Baal wjj[o, durijig "moments of excitement had an odd habit of leaping upon the attars they ' had majle. It is too much td say that one of the greatest of German assets' is; the encouragement given to her people and the concern created in. the minds of our friends by the false picture that is almost daily presented to the world by a portion of our Press. I do not make any imputations except their reckless- „ ness and folly and thfir failure to appreciate that what they are doing has become a public danger." Sir John Simon said he thought he had done his duty in bringing this matter fairly before the House. ■" The services of no papers could atone for or excuse a course of conduct which lie believed was threatening the safety of the country.